Why are DCPS School Modernizations/Expansions More Expensive Than Elsewhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

Good for Cheh! The Cleveland Park metro is close to Eaton.

[Anonymous]

Sheer incompetence of DC government. I have to work with them regularly. It truly boggles the mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: Some of these firms who have achieved cost overruns continue to be hired by the city.
The name Perkins Eastman comes up as one of these. Why isn't there more pushback from
the public, city council when these same firms are selected over the years?

Because the city council members are part of the same good old boy network as the developers.

Single party rule (with a closed primary) inhibits the ability for outsiders/new voices to enter the system and way too many of us (myself included) don't pay enough attention to local matters.

THIS. There is very little accountability for the elected officials. This is, after all, the city that not only re-elected Marion Barry but has statues honoring him...even though he obviously broke the law, was involved in major scandals, and served in government during some of the city’s worst periods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 1999 NCS renovated an old field house to create a new athletic facility. Most of the 83,000 sq. ft. building is underground, and the project included a parking garage. It had many of the hallmarks that fold here are claiming raise costs, such as ANC battles. In fact, this one had a zoning board dispute and legal challenges from the neighbors. The NCS project was a $20 million building, which would be $30 million in today's dollars.

As a DC taxpayer I really don't understand these $150 million school renovations. One of the many downsides of the costs is that schools in desperate need of facilities improvements wait for years because it takes so long to budget these large amounts.

Also, the ANC's are advisory; it's in the name. No one in DC government needs to listen to them. As long as proper public notice is given, that box is checked.

Yes, ANC's are advisory and the government does not have to listen, in theory. That doesn't mean that community concerns don't matter at all. In fact they factor in all kinds of decisions from noise to construction to design.

Often to the detriment of the community and the project. As a Brookland resident, the vacant fields dotting the neighborhood that have been held up by “community concerns” are infuriating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

Good for Cheh! The Cleveland Park metro is close to Eaton.

It’s a 15 minute walk, and bus doesn’t help. Is that close?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

Good for Cheh! The Cleveland Park metro is close to Eaton.

It’s a 15 minute walk, and bus doesn’t help. Is that close?

And Murch is a 13 minute walk from the closest Metro and, well, Janney is a one minute walk (just across the street)! Yet Cheh made sure that those schools got off-street parking. Why is Eaton always last in line and second-class among elementary schools in Cheh’s ward?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

It is not smart to make blanket statement like that. That is what gets politicians in trouble. You say, "we aren't doing X anymore, every again, no way" and then an architect and engineer whisper in your ear, "excuse me, in order to accomplish this project and comply with currents laws and zoning requirements, we have to do X."

If Eaton doubles the square footage of the building, zoning laws will require them to have parking too.

Parking is not in the Eaton plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

Good for Cheh! The Cleveland Park metro is close to Eaton.

It’s a 15 minute walk, and bus doesn’t help. Is that close?

Because Eaton is a small school with a lot of OOB kids. = not enough constituents demanding what that want.

And Murch is a 13 minute walk from the closest Metro and, well, Janney is a one minute walk (just across the street)! Yet Cheh made sure that those schools got off-street parking. Why is Eaton always last in line and second-class among elementary schools in Cheh’s ward?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

Good for Cheh! The Cleveland Park metro is close to Eaton.

It’s a 15 minute walk, and bus doesn’t help. Is that close?

And Murch is a 13 minute walk from the closest Metro and, well, Janney is a one minute walk (just across the street)! Yet Cheh made sure that those schools got off-street parking. Why is Eaton always last in line and second-class among elementary schools in Cheh’s ward?

Because Eaton is a small school with a lot of OOB kids. = not enough constituents demanding what that want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

It is not smart to make blanket statement like that. That is what gets politicians in trouble. You say, "we aren't doing X anymore, every again, no way" and then an architect and engineer whisper in your ear, "excuse me, in order to accomplish this project and comply with currents laws and zoning requirements, we have to do X."

If Eaton doubles the square footage of the building, zoning laws will require them to have parking too.

Parking is not in the Eaton plan.

Until they get sued for mot meeting zoning requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

It is not smart to make blanket statement like that. That is what gets politicians in trouble. You say, "we aren't doing X anymore, every again, no way" and then an architect and engineer whisper in your ear, "excuse me, in order to accomplish this project and comply with currents laws and zoning requirements, we have to do X."

If Eaton doubles the square footage of the building, zoning laws will require them to have parking too.

Parking is not in the Eaton plan.

Until they get sued for mot meeting zoning requirements.

DCPS is not ordinary subject to zoning. And no court is going to require reexcavation of the playground once the project is well underway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small footprints/acreage = underground parking, creative fields/playgrounds

+1

My architect family members say that underground parking costs out at $20K per spot.

DCPS officially is not building parking anymore. In Ward 3, Mary Cheh got DCPS to put in off street parking st Janney and Murch. Now John Eaton is finally getting a renovation (the last in line in Ward 3),and there will be no parking. The HSA actually begs parents to give their visitor parking placards to school staff, but then school neighbors can’t find parking themselves. So this short term fix will end. Cheh’s answer to Eaton staff was to provide information about Metro.

It is not smart to make blanket statement like that. That is what gets politicians in trouble. You say, "we aren't doing X anymore, every again, no way" and then an architect and engineer whisper in your ear, "excuse me, in order to accomplish this project and comply with currents laws and zoning requirements, we have to do X."

If Eaton doubles the square footage of the building, zoning laws will require them to have parking too.

Parking is not in the Eaton plan.

Until they get sued for mot meeting zoning requirements.

DCPS is not ordinary subject to zoning. And no court is going to require reexcavation of the playground once the project is well underway.

Where do you see anywhere that DCPS properties aren't subject to zoning requirements?

Would generally agree that a court wouldn't stop a project already under construction, but suing against zoning approvals has become the go-to anti-development tool in DC.